Tips, resources, interviews, reviews for Baby Boomers who want to embrace new experiences and create meaning in the next step of their lives, by life coach, Karma Kitaj

April 30, 2012

Exercising Your Creativity Keeps You Vibrant in Mind and Soul

It’s about exercising our creativity and how this affects us in our health, our spirit, and our motivation in all areas of life. I've written before about my starting to create art only 1 1/2 years ago, after meeting creativity coach and artist Sandra Shuman on my TV show, "Alivelihood: New Adventures As We Age."

I got introduced by an artist friend, Lola Baltzell, to encaustic art, an ancient process of layering layers of hot wax on a porous surface and then painting on that and embedding collaging materials onto it. I fell in love with the process and set up an art studio of my own.

Recently, I began to participate in a course, called "Coach's Studio: Where Outrageously Creative Coaching Happens," based on the book Becoming a Life Change Artist by Fred Mandell and Kathy Jordan. So, I'm bringing my love for creating visual art into helping people to see their life changes as creative acts.

In the months since I wrote this Huffington Post article, I've gone full steam ahead with my art. What have I noticed about this process?

I'm in a totally present place when I create - in the zone

Time passes effortlessly

I've become more risk-taking ( in a safe way!) which encourages my creativity in other domains of life

I always have something joyful to anticipate.

Immersing myself in my art work has inspired me to promote creativity in others - my clients and friends - as I'm convinced of the benefits to our well-being when we exercise our right as well as left brain

I keep stretching the boundaries of what I've done before - building new brain connections, which research tells us protects from cognitive dysfunction as we age.

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